July 2014 babies

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Developmental delays

colesmommy2014 wrote:

My LO had a stroke during delivery. He got stuck and forceps were used to pull him out. His neck was injured due to the forceps. He's been in physical therapy since 6 weeks old. He's not reaching milestones & I'm starting to worry. I knew he'd have some delays but not as bad as this.

Have any other mommas gone through this? Any advice on what to do? We are waiting for a referral to a developmental delay specialist. I just don't know what to do :(

I'm so sorry you're going through this. While our son had a rather uneventful birth (born 3 weeks early via c-section due to low amniotic fluid) he too is behind. He was referred toa nneurologist after his 4 month well visit due to his head lag and inability to hold his head. We've seen the neurologist and have gone through a slew of testing. As of now it seems to be benign congenital hypotonia. We've contacted early intervention and will hopefully be starting pt soon. It is so difficult dealing with knowing that our little ones are "behind" my main solace is in the fact that he is MY perfect boy no matter what and that little grin he gives makes it all ok. Stay strong momma. You are doing the best you can and your little one will always know that!

I am a developmental therapist with early intervention and my LO is behind... Primarily in her motor skills....you'd think she'd be a star right? Lol... A few things to remember... Babies and young children who are tend to focus on one developmental area at a time, so if your LO is working extra hard on his motor skills then other areas may take a back seat for a bit... Also, there are developmental trajectories or patterns and as long as h e is moving forward then try not to get caught up in the comparison game.. (Like I do even though I know better). On a side note, have you talked to your pedi @ a referral to a develop mental pediatrician or pedi neurologist?

LO's 6 month check up is in a few weeks. I will ask then. I'm just getting frustrated. I'm doing everything that I'm supposed to do-- PT, early intervention. He still has balled up fists, arms to the back and refusing tummy time. He is just now able to hold toys. I see other moms post pics of their LO's sitting and doing all these things and I feel sad. Don't get me wrong I'm amazed at the things he's now doing, I just can't help but worry that he's falling more & more behind

My babe had subarachnoid hemorrhaging and suffered seizures after birth. He's been in physical therapy and is also slightly behind other babies. But all babies are also different and move at their own pace. I'm not worrying yet.

Wow you've had your fair share of struggles with your LO too. I know that he's happy and loved. Seeing his smiling face makes takes away all my worries, if only for a minute

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jessica_fairley

My son was born with pretty significant hearing loss. So because of that he is at a higher risk of speech/communication delays. He got hearing aids at 4 months which will be a huge help. Where I live (Ohio) we have a program called Help me grow which is through the county health department. It offers free access to early intervention. I have a lady who is a teacher of the deaf who comes to the house monthly to work with him and me. We also have access to speech and language pathologists through our local children's hospital.

The point of all of this-- the resources are out there for you to get the best help possible for your little one. Being worried and upset about delays won't help anything. But being proactive and seeking out the proper help will work wonders for both your peace of mind and for your little ones development. I wish you the best and I hope that you'll be strong and become an advocate for your child to get them the best care possible.

We are in Ohio too. I already am in help me grow and early intervention.

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sophimom12

I too worked for early intervention. I'm a school psychologist now. My first (now 5 years old) was delayed in her gross motor skills. I noticed around 5 months but gave it some time. I finally called EI at 9 months and therapy started at 11 months. She went through neurology appointments at CHOP. We only did bloodwork- I didn't want to put her through an MRI at such a young age with sedation and all- as it would only have given us a possible reason as to why delayed. It wouldn't change her treatment.

So we continued with EI- she had PT and OT once she got a bit older. She had hypotonia (didn't sit up solidly until 12 months, crawling at 14, walking at 18). She never held her own bottle- ever. She didn't bat at toys or play. She HATED PT which is pretty typical when working on weaknesses. She ended up getting fitted for sure step orthotics (but was huge mistake- we really didn't need them). She had a tongue thrust also and eventually needed Speech because she jargoned but not speaking intelligibly. She was also followed by an optologist for eye muscle weakness. Her left side in general was weakest. She ended up becoming classified after EI and went to the school program from 3-5 years old. She's now declassified and doing fantastic in kindergarten! She may need glasses as her left eye is still weak but right now both eyes used together are giving her perfect vision so it's not affecting her yet. Her hand is also weak and she complains writing/drawing sometimes but overall she does ok.

My point in sharing all this- is that things looked way worse at the time than it was. We caught it early. Just as you did. Things will be just fine in the long run! Keep on chugging. You will get through it and look back and say, "what fantastic progress!" Guarantee you! :-)

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry how scary. My LO is a preemie, 6.5 weeks early and he also doesn't reach milestones as soon as other babies. What milestones are worrying you?

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Developmental Delays Are you concerned about your little one's motor skills? Breathe easy. There's no magic medicine, but you can help your sweetie just by learning more about developmental delays in children (like how to spot the signs early on and manage the disorders).

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